


Guy in the Chair

by SpiderShell



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Depressed Ned Leeds, Depression, Divorce, Gen, Ned Leeds Needs Help, Ned Leeds Needs a Hug, Worried Peter Parker
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-23
Updated: 2021-01-23
Packaged: 2021-03-15 03:27:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28931751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpiderShell/pseuds/SpiderShell
Summary: Ned used smiles and laughs and jokes to hide the pain. He knew that his friends needed him: heck, they were in worse situations than him, so he had to be strong, for them.After all, a guy in a chair couldn't be a sad, depressed boy, could he?
Relationships: Michelle Jones & Ned Leeds, Ned Leeds & Peter Parker
Comments: 2
Kudos: 12





	Guy in the Chair

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [The Guy in the Chair](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20900852) by [whumphoarder](https://archiveofourown.org/users/whumphoarder/pseuds/whumphoarder). 



> **WARNING:** mentions of depression. 
> 
> If this makes you uncomfortable, please stop here and go no further :))

As the guy in the chair, Ned is always worrying about Peter. It seems like almost every week, his best friend comes to school with some sort of injury, be it a broken rib or a stab wound or even a concussion. Ned's seen it all with Peter, and even though he knows that he has a remarkably danger-proof suit, an AI, and Tony Stark himself keeping an eye on him, it doesn't stop Ned from worrying. He always wonders if today might be the last time he ever sees Peter. Everyone knows that a vigilante's life is extremely dangerous, and just one mistake while he's on patrol could mean the end of the line for Peter.

And Ned can't lose Peter. His best friend is like an anchor for him.

* * *

Ned's parents have officially split up. He alternates between staying with his mom and dad every week, and it seems like packing and unpacking bags have become his life. His mom has a boyfriend, and she's planning to get another job so that she can move in with him in a few months.

In a way, Ned is glad. When his parents were still living together and fighting over the smallest things every night, life was awful. He used to bury his head under his covers and pretend that everything was fine, to drown out the sound. Now everything’s quiet. Almost too quiet. 

But in another way, Ned’s world has split in half. When he is at his dad’s, he is the one who takes care of the house. He doesn’t think much about it, but he’s usually the only one doing the chores and cleaning, and he has to ask a few times before his dad even does anything. It’s a lot of pressure on one teenager with a lot of homework and a life of his own.

But it’s fine. Ned doesn’t mind helping other people, and he always has time for homework if he stays up a little later.

* * *

It’s now school break, and Ned wonders why he isn’t happy. He had been looking forward to summer for weeks, months even, but now that it’s here, all he can think of is how soon it will be gone, and he’ll be back to his monotonous life. 

It’s not overwhelming. No, he can handle it. He needs to - for his family, for Peter.

* * *

Peter collapses at school. After a lot of coaxing and maybe a tiny bit of almost-freaking-out on Ned’s side, Peter finally tells his best friend what happened, who immediately calls Tony Stark. “You can’t keep hiding injuries like this,” he told Peter when he discovered that he’d had a concussion for three days. “It’s not fair on May, on me, or on Mr. Stark. We’re worried about you.” Of course, he neglected to say that he lay away most nights when Peter was on patrol, fearing for his best friend. 

But Ned couldn’t let other people worry about him. They had enough on his plates to handle without adding his problems to the equation.

* * *

Ned might’ve accidentally started crying on the bus in front of Peter today. Today was….just a bad day. A really bad day. His dad had lost his job, and Ned knew that he’d have to start doing more stuff at home and maybe even give up on some of his extracurriculars to compensate. He’d made a weak excuse about hormones and all that stuff, but Peter had seemed to take the bait. That or he was just waiting for Ned to come to him. 

Breathe in, breathe out.

He was okay.

* * *

Ned took a depression test. He came out as medium to high. That wasn’t good, right? The website had told him to ask for help, but he couldn’t. Other people had so many problems. 

He’d asked MJ about what her life was at home in an effort to maybe ask for help or leave a subtle hint that he was struggling. When his friend described how her father had a new girlfriend almost every week, he knew that she wasn’t the right person to ask. At least his dad was still single. 

Now that he was thinking about it, maybe his situation wasn't that bad.

* * *

Ned used smiles and laughs and jokes to hide the pain. He knew that his friends needed him: heck, they were in worse situations than him, so he had to be strong, for them.

After all, a guy in a chair couldn't be a sad, depressed boy, could he?

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed this!! I was watching Spider-Man: Homecoming recently and realised that Ned never gets enough credit for what he does and who he is. He's such a great friend, and I think that it's so in character for him to push away his own feelings and hide his own issues to make sure that Peter is okay.


End file.
